This blog is about the book 'CONFIDENTIAL: The Life of Secret Agent Turned Hollywood Tycoon Arnon Milchan.' The biography of a legendary Hollywood producer.
Cover image: Milchan embraces Arafat. A James Bond fan, Arafat thought he was embracing a film producer who had just introduced him to one of the original Bond's, Sean Connery. Arafat never realized he was schmoozing a top Israeli intelligence asset. - SCROLL DOWN:

Monday, September 26, 2011

Confidential was submitted today for consideration for the Pulitzer Prize in the Biography category. Although the book may initially be mistaken for Hollywood fluff, Pulitzers judges will quickly realize the weightiness of the material and the extensive investigative journalism that is at the heart of this project. We thank the judges for their consideration, regardless of outcome.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

"...The authors write in a punchy, engaging style and offer up many surprises... interesting and well-written.... Readers interested in the gritty minutiae of intelligence and counterintelligence will be fascinated by Milchan’s exploits and vicariously proud of his achievements. Show business junkies, like myself, will be amazed at how many of their favorite movies of the past few years came into being largely as a result of Milchan’s prodigious efforts. Above all, Confidential is a really good read."

UPDATE: Far left UK media outlet Counterpunch, is outraged that The New York Times made light of New Corp. Peter Chernin's comments about Arnon Milchan and "weapons of mass destruction.":

The New York Times tried to make light of it, quoting Murdoch’s former lieutenant, Peter Chernin as saying “Never, never tell jokes about a man with easy access to weapons of mass destruction.” How hilarious.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Confidential will soon be available in airports and train stations, as Hudson News moves to place the book in its stores at major travel hubs across North America. Thank you Hudson News. ﻿Also now available at Walmart.com.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

We are happy to report that Confidential in the Hebrew language will now be available on Amazon. Many Israelis living outside of Israel have expressed frustration that the book is not available in Hebrew at US bookstores. Fortunately, "Sodot" can now be ordered directly from Amazon and shipped quickly to your destination, worldwide. Thank you for your patience.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

When we first began our research on Confidential, we immediately discovered that there is an entire subculture on the Internet spewing vile conspiracy theories and classic anti-Semitisim about legendary Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. Some of these sites go so far as to implicate Mr. Milchan in 9-11, and even in the assassination of JFK (Milchan was in his teens when JFK was assassinated). Of course, the usual “Zionists control the media” assertions are a given with this crowd.

Our two-year journey of interviewing and researching this project revealed that indeed, Mr. Milchan acted in a covert capacity for his country for many years, from the mid 1960’s to the mid 1980’s. We spell out exactly how and when he was recruited, and by whom. We describe in great detail many of his activities… none of which even remotely involve the kinds of wacky conspiracies and vile anti-Semitisim posted all over the internet in relation to Mr. Milchan.

According to the Associated Press, Israel's channel 10 TV news chief has resigned because his channel agreed to apologize for a report critical of U.S. casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, a close associate of Israel's prime minister and the owner of Sands International, the parent company of the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, with additional huge operations in Macau and Singapore.

The Haaretz newspaper says Adelson threatened to sue Channel 10, partially owned by fellow billionaires Arnon Milchan and Ron Lauder if it didn't apologize for its profile of his [Adelson's] conduct and business dealings. Israeli newspapers on Thursday published a statement by Channel 10's news chief, Reudor Benziman, saying that in his professional capacity, he "cannot live with the apology".

Israel's Channel 10 is owned by Israelis Yossi Maiman and Arnon Milchan, a Hollywood film producer; and Ron Lauder, another U.S. businessman with close ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

In Steven Spielberg's Munich, a number of characters and methods of operations are accurately described. A character very similar to Rafi Eitan is played very well by Geoffrey Rush (1:06). Eitan was indeed a legendary Mossad agent, and was later Arnon Milchan's superior and the head of LAKAM (Science Liaison Bureau), a top secret Israeli intelligence organization unknown to the United States until 1985. From scene 1:04-1:13, Spielberg accurately describes the kind of secret accounts portrayed in Confidential. One unrealistic scene in Munich, is when an accountant demands of the secret agent played by Eric Bana, to keep all of his receipts. A ridicules request because no one would ask their agent to keep an incriminating paper-trail. And secret accounts were not exactly from "taxpayer funds" as described by the accountant in the movie. Confidential reveals real methods of funding. Non-the-less, those who found Munich an interesting movie (based on a true story), will love the non-fiction Confidential.

Upon the publication of Confidential, which garnered worldwide media attention, Arnon Milchan took a lengthy vacation far from the limelight, and far from the long list of reporters eager to get his reaction to the stunning revelations about him in the book. Upon reemerging for the first time this week, Mr. Milchan executed a shake-up of the senior management at his flagship company, New Regency Productions, tipping off the trade publications who for years, some have argued, maintain a cozy relationship with Mr. Milchan. It might be noted that despite worldwide coverage, from the New York Times to the UK Daily Mail, and despite the fact that the book is sitting in the front section of every bookstore from Hollywood to New York City, the Hollywood trades have yet to take note of Confidential. It looks like Hutch Parker and Bob Harper are out, and Brad Weston from Paramount is in... that's the big news with them. "Milchan wants to run the company himself, more the way he did in the early days, which is a significant change from what Bob and I were brought in to do," said Mr. Parker.

Arnon Milchan has yet to respond to a single reporter's inquiry about the book Confidential, despite tens of requests from outlets like CNN, Israel's Channel 1, The New York Times, and many other major media outlets worldwide.

UPDATE: Arnon Milchan appoints his daughter Alexandra Milchan to the position of Senior Vice President of Productions of New Regency Films.

NBC News on 'Confidential': "A movie tycoon whose life story itself is a Hollywood movie"

Media Contact Information

July 17, 2011: The New York Times Introduces 'Confidential' to the World: GROUND BREAKING.

Click on image for the full article.

Fox News: "This is a Deadly Serious Book"

Fox News and the New York Times agree on something. Click on the image for the full backstory to the writing of the book 'Confidential' as published by FoxNews.com

Fox News on the 'Confidential' story: "This is a Movie in Itself"

Additional recommended reading:

For a wider understanding of Israel's intelligence services beyond the story of one facinating man, the authors of 'Confidential' also recommend Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman's gripping book 'Spies Against Armageddon'. Click on the image to go to their Amazon page.

CNN on the 'Confidential' story: "Hollywood Execs Will Be Fighting to Get This to The Big Screen"

The Daily Beast on Confidential - The Downfall of a Top Aerospace Scientist

GUT WRENCHING: Arnon and Richard Kelly Smyth go shopping for nuke materials. Smyth is caught...escapes... and 16 years of fear and exile ensue. Click on image for the story.

'Confidential' Co-author Doron Interviews for CBS News:

Author-Signed & Personalized Copies of Confidential Available Only Here:

Contact the Authors of 'Confidential' at 202-440-3050.

Tablet Magazine: The Shocking Milchan-South African Saga

He may have produced '12 Years a Slave' as a measure of redemption, but before that he played a key, controversial and highly secret role in Aparthide South Africa. Click on image for the exclusive details.

Sky News: Arnon Milchan wishes he hadn't denied it.

Milchan's Spymaster Blumberg: "For years I carried a cyanide capsule in case I was caught"

The only known photo of Arnon Milchan's Israeli Intelligence Handler and Trainer (between 1965-1981), LAKAM Chief and Master Spy Benjamin Blumberg. "Milchan was a man I could work with". Click Image for the full story.

Richard (AKA Dr. Jon Schiller) and Emily Smyth, The Owners of 'Milco', a LAKAM Front Company

The fugitive couple who escaped to 16 years of exile in Malaga, Spain, after shipping nuclear weapons triggers (Krytrons) to their long-time business partner/LAKAM handler, Arnon Milchan. Smyth, who was caught, extradited and convicted in the case, blames Arnon Milchan for destroying his life. Click on image for the story.

Krytron - a nuclear trigger

Like in any movie production "It's always the little things that cause the most trouble" - Arnon Milchan

Urenco Nuclear Centrifuge Blueprints...

In the dead of night, Arnon Milchan secured the designs for advanced centrifuges for uranium enrichment... click on image for details:

A Fall From Grace - The Smyth mobile home

Once he was one of the most important and respected aerospace engineers in America with a waterfront mansion and a yacht. Today he lives in a little mobile home next to the railroad tracks in Lompoc, CA. Photo by Joseph Gelman. The Authors visited Mr. Smyth at his home as part of the investigative process.

Jonathan Pollard - Also a LAKAM Operative, and also handled by Rafi Eitan in 1985....

Arrested only months after Richard Kelly Smyth fled into exile in 1985 to live as a fugitive on the lam. The Smyth incident/disappearance undoubtedly played a negative role in Pollard's disproportionately harsh treatment... as US authorities were looking at that point to "send a message". Few have understood the connection between the Smyth and Pollard cases, and the time-frame. Pollard still rots in Jail, going on 29 years now.

Top Mossad operative and LAKAM Chief who was forced to resign following the Pollard Affair. Years earlier, Rafi Eitan had personally captured Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. Eitan enjoys sculpting, and one of his sculptures sits in his friend Milchan's living room in his Malibu ocean-front mansion. Click Image for background on Rafi Eitan.

Arnon Milchan's $600,000,000 Art Collection

A less valuable sculpture by his friend Rafi Eitan sits on the living room table.

Arnon Milchan, Moshe Dayan and Leon Uris, the Author of Exodus.

It was Arnon Milchan who brokered the deal between Shimon Peres and Ariel Sharon to create the Kadima Party

Arnon Milchan and French President Jacques Chirac

Standing alongside Milchan with blond short hair is Ase Thastrom, Milchan's former longtime lover who still lives in his Chateau in France, next door to the retired French President.

Peres, Milchan, Netanyahu

The Man in the Middle...in more ways than one

Arnon Milchan, Roman Polanski and Robert De Niro behind a 'Solidarity' sign in Poland

Milchan financed a production of 'Amadeus', the first Western cultural event held in Poland since before WWII. Polanski himself played the lead role. With the fall of Communisim in Poland, President Lech Walesa invited the trio for a Robert De Niro film festival that they organized.

Martin Scorsese directs Jerry Lewis in the 'King of Comedy' As Arnon Milchan looks on

Every Tabloid on the Planet Picks up on the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie 'Confidential' Scoop

The Authors didn't even consider it 'news' when Milchan described to them the behind-the-scenes story of the beginning of Angelina and Brad's relationship, and the break-up with Jennifer Aniston. Apperently the tabloids considered it huge news.

Arnon Milchan and Angelina Jolie

The Secrets of the 'Secret Agents' of Mr. and Mrs. Smith

The Authors of 'Confidential', Meir Doron and Joseph Gelman

Top-notch Investigative Journalism of the 'old school' kind. The stunning Investigation that brought a super-agent in from the cold.